Rowing device

ABSTRACT

Equipment for assisting in rowing a boat with oars comprising an active means ( 5 ) of receiving, storing and releasing energy, which receives the energy conveyed from the rower to the oar ( 4 ) during the return movement of the oar blade. The means ( 5 ) releases the energy with a certain degree of damping in order to prevent uncontrolled movement of the oar ( 4 ) during its forward movement.

[0001] The present invention concerns an aid for rowing a boat accordingto the preamble to claim 1.

[0002] Rowing is performed with two different movements, partly aforward movement with the oar blades below the surface of the water withthe resistance of the oar blades in the water driving the boat in thedirection of travel, and partly a return movement where the oar bladesare transported above the surface of the water to their originalpositions ready to be lowered into the water for starting a new forwardmovement again. Previously known means supply energy to a spring orrubber band during the return movement that is released during theforward movement, thereby giving the rower additional power. The saidmeans has the disadvantage that if the rower loses grip of the oar oncethe spring or rubber band has been supplied with energy, the oar handlecan hit the rower in an uncontrollable manner, causing personal injury.

[0003] One object of the present invention is to alleviate or remedysuch shortcomings.

[0004] This object is achieved by supplying energy to a gas-filledpiston-cylinder means, primarily a gas cylinder, during the returnmovement so that it can be released in a controllable manner during theforward movement and thereby provide the additional power. The gascylinder works so that the added energy is released with a certaindegree of damping, whereby it can be released in a controlled manner,reducing the risk of personal injury. Tests have shown that the forwardmovement of a normal oar stroke during competition rowing is completedin 0.6 seconds, which is why the speed of the outgoing movement of thegas cylinder piston rod has been set to 0.5 seconds. This means thateven if the rower should lose grip of the oar, even if the oar is in theair, it will not move faster than it would during a normal stroke.

[0005] The invention is described more fully in the following withreference to the attached drawings, which illustrate examples ofselected embodiments, where

[0006]FIG. 1 is a side view of the equipment in accordance with theinvention and

[0007]FIG. 2 is a detailed drawing of one oar mounted in a holder towhich the aid is arranged seen from the front.

[0008] The rowing equipment 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises onepair of stands arranged on a boat, each exhibiting a holder 3 for oneoar 4 and a means of receiving/storing/releasing energy in the form of agas cylinder 5. The stands 2 are directed outward in differentdirections from the railing and each stand 2 comprises one pair of stays6, 7, one end of each being mounted to the railing at a distance fromeach other and the other end in a direction toward the other andfinished with a joint 8. To the joint 8 is arranged an ascending shaft9, to which the holder 3 for the oar 4 is arranged. The holder 3comprises a tubular part 10, into which the oar is fitted and is pivotedaround the shaft 9 to allow the ends of the oars 4 to perform theirforward and return movements. To the holder 3 is arranged a lever 11with a fastening point 12, to which the gas cylinder 5 piston rodattachment 13 is joined. The second fastening point 14 of the cylinder 5is arranged on a projecting attachment 15 arranged on the front 7 stay,seen from the direction of travel of the boat, which means the cylinder5 is angled towards the stem of the boat.

[0009] The equipment operates in the following manner:

[0010] The rower sits facing the rear of the boat with the oars 4 heldstraight out from the boat. The oars, seen in the direction of travel ofthe boat, are moved forward in the air and convey muscle energy to thegas cylinders 5. When the oar blades reach their maximum forwardposition, they are lowered into the water. As the oar handles are pulledforward by the rower with the oar blades under the surface of the water,the stored energy in the gas cylinders 5 is released to the oars 4,whereby the boat is driven in the direction of travel with the aid ofthe power from the rower as well as from the gas cylinders 5.

[0011] It should be understood that the equipment can be used with therower sitting facing both the rear of the boat as well as the front ofthe boat.

[0012] The present invention is not limited to the above description andas illustrated in the drawings but can be changed and modified in anumber of different ways within the framework of the idea of inventionspecified in the following claims.

1. Equipment for assisting in rowing a boat with at least one oar havinga blade, comprising an active structure to receive, store and releaseenergy conveyed from the rower to the oar during the return movement ofthe oar blade, wherein the energy is released with a certain degree ofdamping in order to prevent uncontrolled movement of the oar during itsforward movement.
 2. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the activestructure comprises a gas-filled piston-cylinder, to receive and storeenergy when the gas is compressed by the return movement of the oar. 3.Equipment according to claim 2, wherein the release of energy by thepiston-cylinder causes the oar to rotate around its pivot during theforward movement of the oar for a predetermined time that is somewhatshorter than the time it takes to rotate the oar during one strokeperformed without the present equipment.
 4. Equipment according to claim1, further comprising a stand to which a pivot attachment for an oar isarranged, between which stand and pivot attachment the piston-cylinderacts.